Richard Bugg

I have the D750 and the D500 (and a D3s and D800), and they're both excellent. The difference between the two are mostly to do with features rather than image quality -- both images are pretty much the same, you have to push pretty hard to see the difference. One place where you can see differences is at high ISO -- the D500 might have a 1.5 million ISO headline, but it's pure BS. It's just acceptable for certain applications* at 12,800 ISO in RAW, the D750 is definitely better at 12,800 (not a massive difference a la A7s, but noticeable.)
The D750 and D500 has the same colour, they mix and match perfectly. Not sure if that will be the case for any new cameras, since I've noticed that Nikons do change in look from generation to generation (as you would expect). It changes enough so that I keep slightly different Lightroom presets for each of my cameras to get a consistent look, even in RAW stills. 
Another thing I'll note is that while each new Nikon I've bought have feature differences, they're not hugely different. Nikon is at a place where they're happy to do 4K in crop mode -- I wouldn't expect a new upcoming Nikon to do 4K without a crop. Nikon is incredibly conservative when it comes to adding new features, it would not surprise me that it would take a D6 (probably 4 years from now) before you see un-cropped 4K. No one buys Nikon for bleeding edge tech, they buy Nikon because it always works, under any circumstances, all the time.
(That said, the 4K crop is about the same as the GH4 with native lenses at 2.3x, and I never had a problem with either camera. I do have a Tokina 11-16, which is a lovely looking lens)
For what it's worth, if I absolutely had to only go with one camera I would pick the D750 with the 24-70. But only just, since I also have a D500 with the Sigma 17-50 2.8 with OS, and that is a pretty sweet combo. 
 
 
* I'll go right up to 12,800 for events in a dark room, but in any situation where I have some control over lighting/set/talent, I'd keep it no higher than 6400.

There is an old legal principle called 'The Plain Meaning Rule" which is basically that people say what they mean, and they mean what they say. It's interesting to see the contortions some people are going to to say that Trump didn't, in fact, mean what he said, or that what he said was just a code for something much more palatable. While a lot of people are trying to convince themselves that Trump doesn't really mean what he has said, many others are fearful that he does indeed mean what he has said. I recall some similar commentary when Rodrigo Duterte came to power recently in the Phillipines, promising a spate of extrajudicial killings for anyone involved in the drug trade. It turns out that good old Rodrigo did in fact mean what he said. The jury is out with Trump, because nobody actually has any idea of what he is going to do. The American people have unleashed the unknown onto the rest of us. Let the experiment begin.

I think the big question is: what camera should you use to film a Trump face? Do we need a new revolution in color capture for our cameras, or do we need better tools for post production?

There is an old legal principle called 'The Plain Meaning Rule" which is basically that people say what they mean, and they mean what they say. It's interesting to see the contortions some people are going to to say that Trump didn't, in fact, mean what he said, or that what he said was just a code for something much more palatable. While a lot of people are trying to convince themselves that Trump doesn't really mean what he has said, many others are fearful that he does indeed mean what he has said. I recall some similar commentary when Rodrigo Duterte came to power recently in the Phillipines, promising a spate of extrajudicial killings for anyone involved in the drug trade. It turns out that good old Rodrigo did in fact mean what he said. The jury is out with Trump, because nobody actually has any idea of what he is going to do. The American people have unleashed the unknown onto the rest of us. Let the experiment begin.

Hi Hansel I'm not expert buy I can suggest you the roger Deakins forum, he is the DOP of the coen brothers. it's awesome it approach. he would probably suggest you to do not imitate tutorials/techniques/him, but to experiment by yourself and searching what you feel is right with the light following your taste. and make practice shooting every day.
but is maybe better you ask him directly here: https://www.google.it/search?q=roger+deakins+forum&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-ab&gfe_rd=cr&ei=SRoZWLKRMufw8AeKgoGgDA
 
bye!
 
 

No.

HI everybody! Long time ago I shared my first Teaser and also some Super 16mm shots from my Feature, "Black or White". After all this time we finally made it so i wanted to share the official trailer. The film is beginning it's festival tour this November so we are hoping to make it travel around the world, finger crossed  
Activate ENGLISH subs!!! 
And here on Vimeo for those who don't like Youtube:
If you are wondering, yes.. We shot all the film on Nikons D7100 and D5300. A little old by now (we started 3 years ago) with all the 4k cameras around, but i think the look holds pretty well. There is also some Super 16mm footage.
 

Thought we where over this camera x is better than camera y. No camera is better than another, it depends on the user. If you ask Iron Film the FS5 is better. If you ask me the c100ii clearly wins. None of us is right or wrong.
To answer the title question. Me personally I would look at a used c100i. Here they cost about the same as a Panasonic g80/85. Crazy value. And then I would have lots of spare cash for sound gear, lenses, or mayby just a vacation if I already have everything I need.
But thats just me.

No problem I'm a bit of a location sound recordist nerd, so have a good handle on all the various low budget sound recording options ;-) 

The key point is all the ones I listed have headphone jacks (even the Shure on camera mic, and those wireless receivers) so while you can't monitor what is actually being recorded inside the camera (thus whenever you can and have a spare moment, you should still check playback for issues), you can at least easily monitor the audio feed (which is the next best thing!). Plus all of those listed (except for the Saramonic & Sony wireless kits) are recorders as well, which gives you a back up recording as well as an emergency fail safe you can resort to if need be.
If all you need is an on camera mic for scratch audio / extreme run & gun, then go for the Shure VP83F.
If you use wireless a lot and you want a very minimalist set up without an extra bulk, then go for Saramonic UwMic9 (or the Sony UWP-D11 if you want the fancy-ish "brand name" of Sony rather than Saramonic, of if you need a different frequency range for your region other than what Saramonic can supply at the moment).  
if you want an actual proper recorder go with Tascam DR60D mk2 (I've seen it for as low as US$135 on special!! Insanely cheap for such a good little recorder), get the Tascam DR70D only if you need the extra XLR inputs.
Get the Zoom F4 (or even F8) if you have aspirations in the near future of taking location sound recording seriously to a semi pro level or higher and specialising in this as a sound recordist. (like I am doing myself: http://ironfilm.co.nz/sound/)

Get Zoom H1 (or Tascam DR22WL, which is kinda similar ish... but has WiFi!) if you have very low audio requirements (don't even want XLR) and just want something nice but is ultra small and compact with built in mics.

People can be strange & do silly things, but still theft is theft. The thing that really bugs me is that they ripped it from my Vimeo account a year ago (it was PW protected & I only left it like that for a week, afterwards it went completely private) - so they knew what they were doing & the theft was intentional. Now whether they actually thought about ripping it in order to upload it at a later date is something I'll never know, but the fact that they waited a year suggests that it might have been their long term plan. The fatal flaw in their plan is that I have been keeping tabs on them, as I had a feeling something like this was going to happen - 6th sense?
I am so pissed at the moment that I'm holding off with any direct contact, need a cool head first. Luckily a good friend of mine knows the manager (I do too, but again really pissed & will probably tear his head off) & is going to have a quiet word - my mate's appalled at what's happened and we both think that the manager is unaware of what they've done, so I think that will be a good first step. If he doesn't act, then I'll send the email I've prepared - it'll make them think twice, hopefully pay up & I know I've got the money to fuck them if I so wish.
The stupid thing about their behaviour is that i've got loads of their unreleased music, might even have their YouTube PW somewhere & they know that i'm good enough to twist their words to make a great Spinal Tap type doc that'll make them look like idiots (shit I made them sound good, when they weren't). Again, pissed & need a cool head. 

I generally use a small monitor and for critical setups, I use the camera's LCD for framing and color, and use the montior at 1:1 with peaking on, and look for eyelashes/eye catchlights/pores/ to get best focus. Most people seem to have found that even if a recorder can do 422, if it's getting 420, the benefits aren't always worth the extra gear and cost and hassle. Metaphor alert: I can record a tiny AM radio into ProTools with an Apogee preamp and killer mic - it's still gonna sound like a tiny AM radio. The recorder isn't getting a raw signal, it's getting a visually-compressed feed that hasn't been compressed data-wise.
Yep, NX1; it's on a set of rails I cobbled together out of various bits - I really want two risers from tripod-to-rails and two risers from rails to baseplate - I find heavy lenses cause the whole rig to sag with just one riser, which is a nightmare. It has a Manfrotto 577 QR on top - everything's manfrotto QR so I can pull the camera from the rails (steadicam) or stick the whole rig on a crane or slider. The rig itself is 577 and the camera is 577'd as well. I can stick front handles and shoulder mount on it in a second, too.
Decent 2-stage matte box without the flags that day (that Matthews flag in the shot was blocking the LED hair light from hitting the lens); Fotga DPII follow focus (amazing value, that thing!!) with whip, Nikkor 28-70 2.8 (known as "the beast" in some circles) with a rubber hood - I use rubber hoods vs donuts or knickers, very fast to squish 'em against the matte box. if I'm doing focus pulls, I add a lens support and "lift" the front of the lens enough to kill any play - DSLR lenses tend to jump up when you start a follow focus pull.
I use a 90° rail block and an extra piece of rod to mount the DR60 next to the camera, found a 1/4-20 adjustable rail piece on eBay that lets me tilt the recorder. The recorder has a 90° headphone jack extender to get the headphone cable clear of the recorder controls. That's an Anker USB battery which powers the DR all day.
The monitor is a Marshall 5", has 1:1, peaking, and blue-only to check color with a source of bars. The mic is an AT 4053b in a Rode blimp. Killer mic, really detailed and worth every penny vs. a Rode or cheapie. Tons of presence. I use an XLR on-off barrel switch to get the mic right to the front and gain a couple inches (the blimp is expecting a shotgun...)
I don't use a cage, don't really need to bolt the kitchen sink to my camera and I like to be able to go from tripod to crane to steadicam very quickly. I have a simple railblock cable lock that holds a short HDMI cable and a short 1/8 headphone extension, so I plug the monitor and camera-synch-audio into those vs hunting for tiny ports with a flashlight, less cycles on the ports, protects from snagging, etc. I really try to minimize change-up time.
Tripod is a Manfrotto with 503 (no panning at this gig) - it's taken a hell of a beating from sticking an 8' Kessler on it for years and will someday likely explode in a pile of springs and oil, but a decent head. I have a couple smaller tripods as well, nothing super-pricey (I got my film-school son one of those "fancier" fluid tripods... and then got myself one, amazing for $150 or so. Still want to get a sachtler or something...)
Cases are ever-changing and I pack per-gig to try for the "one cart in" thing - pelicans, eBay pelican knockoffs (saves some bucks!), and I got an amazing deal on a used 4x5 view camera custom case that the entire rig can go in, completely assembled, with room for 4x4's and lenses and so on - AWESOME to just lift the rig out and click it onto a tripod and roll. It's a very big case though so only goes to bigger gigs. I have a wheeled case from Cool-Lights that was the only thing I've found to reasonably pack two quad biax units, or one and a bunch of stuff. Generally takes one quad and also the HID softbox and ballast stuff, I know when I walk in if I need the bigger kick of the HID. But the quads are just the shit when 1k will do, I use metal binder clips and stick a sheet or two of diffusion across the barn doors, instant softbox - in fact, the barn doors will fold up with diffusion clipped on, talk about fast! it's not a "real" kino and needs 1/4 CTB and 1/8 minus green to hit clean 5200k or so, I just leave that on.
Lately I've been thinking more about popping faces from backgrounds - if there's a window with greenery, say, I'll put more magenta on the key and manually WB - the camera kicks up the green, and since the BG isn't affected by the gelled light, it gets greener and more saturated in the greens. You'll blow the gag if your key hits other visible stuff in the shot, but overall, I've been working on cooling down backgrounds more, since faces are warm-toned - gets more pop, more 3D look, and our brains tend to say "warmer=closer, cooler=distant". If someone is really pale, I might go the opposite, bluer key and the BG gets warm. Sometimes I manually white balance through1/4 or 1/8 CTB (actually I have an old 77mm camera filer that's very mild cooling and use that) which slightly warms the whole scene. Kind of feel like that's me "next step" for some of this stuff.
Whew, hope that helps!
 
 

I do a ton of corporate interviews, musing about some doc projects if I get some free time...
The #1, by-god awesome, holy-cow thing for me as an interview shooter and editor: freaking 4K. If you have a feel for narrative, human nature, drama, etc, you can guide and cut a great interview. But reframing has changed the game for me. You can hide cuts, and tighten up the shot for the most dramatic or impactful statements. When I come in tight, I can do subtle camera moves/pans which really just "work" subconsciously. I can shoot a little wider than usual for lower thirds or graphics and still have plenty of pixels for a wide range of shot changes, without moving the camera. That's my #1. I use the NX1 for all interviews now (the 4k footage is pretty astounding), with a Nikkor 28-70 2.8 zoom generally - that zoom looks fab and it allows me to adjust framing quickly, like I setup with a stand-in and then the subject is 7' tall. 
(#1-a? A morphing plugin for your NLE. When they work, they're lifesavers - get every f*cking UMM and pause and stutter OUT of your edit!!)(Unless those express the personality - for corporate stuff they're goners).
Other MASSIVE thing for interviews - if it's not "to the camera" (which I generally dislike) - who is the subject talking to? If it's me, I'm in a chair with a monitor on my lap, but I HATE looking down to check focus - people instantly feel like you've got something more important on your mind. So I have to go deeper with the DOF and if the subject is really active or excited - you'll lose focus. So I try to get someone to be an eye line. I QUIETLY whisper questions to that person - if you're behind the camera and you ask the question, even if you say "tell her...", their eyes will shift back and forth and it looks shifty. I'd much rather be riding focus behind the camera. With a follow focus and a 12" whip, so no jitters. I only wear headphones for initial setup and first roll with the subject, they are too "distancing" for me, unless I'm not the interviewer.
IF THE INTERVIEWER IS NOT IN THE EDIT - make sure they answer IN CONTEXT so the question is not needed. Most people understand this, and understand if you stop them and say "context, please" or lead them - "I'm sorry, could you start that with 'the reason I love what I do'..."
#3 major thing for a great interview - a third person with an eye for detail and grooming - most any lady or your gay buddy will do - (not trying to be sexist, just my hard experience) - even the receptionist - to keep an eye on hair, collars, lint, wrinkles, etc. There's too damn much to be focused on (for my tiny brain anyway) - most ladies like to be asked to be the grooming police and watch for that lock of hair that pops up halfway through, to watch for makeup issues on female subjects that guys don't even SEE. Have them look through the monitor for issues like shining skin, too. (I KNOW this sounds sexist and generalized, but I've found it to be true!!! If a lady looks decent in her clothes, she'll see what needs fixing.)
So for a doc, I'd think about your assistant - someone that can watch for those details, help setup and pack and carry, and either be an eyeline or can babysit focus.
I also use the NX for steadicam b-roll, I just stick the cheap little 16-50 OIS kit lens on it, very small and light on a Came steadicam, and I use the same QR on everything so I can be on the steadicam in seconds. From there, b-roll, establishing shots, whatever you need... lenses, tripod, jib, sliders, shoulder mount, etc. Have an ND solution if you'll be moving in and outdoors.
Good audio is a must, the DR60 is a great piece of gear, and the camera-out with its own level control means you can use it as a preamp and not need to synch (I use the NX1 and when gain is staged properly, no difference between the DR card or the camera). But you have the recorder files as a safety if you get an over (and the DR records a 2nd track at -6DB which can save your ass). Get some closed-back headphones (even cheap ones). You need a great mic, or at least a good one - Oktava, AT 4053, or at the least a Rode, but get a hyper, not a shotgun. For about $200 you can get one of the OST lav mics AND the XLR barrel converter, which converts phantom power to mic power. So you can use a lav and not mess with wireless and be all-XLR, no monkey-business 1/8 crap in the chain. There's a small OST that hides great in a tie knot.
LIGHTING - for a big window office where you want to hold the exterior, you generally need a 575 or 1.2k HMI par. And with many angles, your diffusion frame will reflect in the window, so you need strategies for that. Often a polarizer will knock down lesser reflections. Or you can ND the whole window if you have all day.
I keep a 575 in the truck, but I have a "one-rock-n-roller-cart" setup to make one trip in for most gigs. I TRY to use a quad biax - they're usually under $200, and I clip diffusion across the barn doors, instant softbox that's the right size for faces, small and easy to move, no cold-start issues, etc. I also bring an Aputure 672 LED for rim/hair, or background (probably will get another sometime)... usually a small 300 fresnel if I want warm BG light... I also have a 400 HID setup that works with all the photoflex softboxes, but that's a DIY grow light thing (it kicks ass and looks legit, about 1200 watts of nice daylight). I also have a 2" daylight fresnel with a 150 HID globe and ballast, again DIY but looks like actual gear, about 500 watt equivalent) handy little problem solver. And a bunch of CTB and CTO gels cut to size and ready in a big ziplock. Usually doesn't take many lights to get a nice looking interview setup. In a pinch I can be setup and ready to roll in 20 minutes, though that's kinda stressy!
For overhead mic, I use a steel roller stand - it's heavy enough to not need sandbags but easy to tweak the position. Those are pricey, $180 or so, but worth it. I don't bring c-stands to most interview gigs, too hard to pack, too heavy. Use good quality folding stands though, the Matthews steel kit stands are good. Find a good solution to pack all your stands in.
I generally bring the steel roller w/ arm - decent stands for key, LED, fresnel - I bring a couple black flags (18x24) for spill or if the hair light is hitting the lens as a flag; a cookie and grip stuff; a couple extra boom arms and heads. Usually 5-7 stands in a bag. An 18" and 22" popup reflector/diffusor, gaff tape, spring clamps, and A LINT ROLLER!!!
There are LEDs that would make a suitable key (the Aperture doesn't have the kick except for very dark setups), but they're a grand and up, the biax quad is still a trouper for me.
All of that on one cart - I use two motorcycle tie-down ratchets to hold it on the cart.
That's my business interview setup, but I'd likely use the same for a doc interview.
Last week, basic setup:
 
 

As far as levels go yeah the limiter helps. Im no expert but from what I've heard in samples it doesn't sound as natural. Of course in a pinch I would definitely use a limiter.

Oh, forgot to include in my list of "things I want to get" the new Saramonic plug in XLR recorder  (hopefully like the Tascam DR10 but cheaper?!). If the reviews are good! No real concrete info is out about it yet.
 
Not sure exactly where I'd place it in terms of priorities,  depends on price too, perhaps in the first half of the list.

Yup, of course the Oktava MK-012 is for indoors. When I first used it... WOW! But of course I'd only had experience with low grade equipment, and/or shotguns. 

Yes you do need to be careful with handling noise, but using the Rycote Lyre Shockmount  in the new Rode Blimp helps heaps. 

Currently the Oktava MK-012 (and the Sennheiser G3 units, but they're only extras for when I need a *LOT* of wireless) is the only item in that gear list which I don't own myself. But it is from a very good mate who lives just around the corner, isn't a specialist soundie himself (so it probably would be available at short notice), and has been happy to lend it to me for a free/low rate Thus I included it in my own gear list!

My short term gear upgrades are (in roughly this order): 
Saramonic UwMic10 (I'll start with one, test it out in use thoroughly, then likely order more if it passes with flying colors)
Saramonic UwMic9 + TX-XLR9
Oscar SoundTech lavs (heaps! Want more than one per wireless unit) + lav accessories 
Aputure D3
Extra boom pole (my current pole is a carbon fibre one that is "only" 3m long, I want a 5m one for when I need the extra reach, plus as a backup pole)
Audix SCX1-HC or Audio-Technica AT4053b as the upgrade from the Oktava (need to do more research on this to decide which one of the two, ideally get my hands on them personally to try out first)
Zoom F4 or F8 (although the F4 is "underneath" the F8, it is also in some ways a subtle improvement upon the F8, plus it is cheaper! So tricky to say which of the F4 or F8 I'll pick)
Sanken CS-3e or I dunno.. some similar-ish high end one to replace/supplement my NTG2/D3/ME66 (but I've been suitably impressed by what I've heard with tests done with the Sanken CS-3e).
Rycote Cyclone Windshield.
Am not counting the various little minor accessories (such as hush heels, or top stick), the many many batteries, and various assortment of extra cables, that I'll also be always picking up along the way and buying!
By this point in time it will be late 2017 or even 2018 (or later! Depends on how my fledging sound career goes), and I'll be looking into getting a smart slate, Tentacle Sync, Lectrosonics (and then my Sony UWD-P etc will be downgraded to IFBs), sound cart, Sound Devices 633, etc etc
 

Step 1: Buy this book: https://www.amazon.com/Location-Sound-Bible-Record-Professional/dp/1615931201/
Step 2: Read that book. 
Step 3: Practice what you learned, over and over again, at any chance you can. 
Step 4: Go back to Step 2.

(somewhere early on this process you'll also get sucked into a nasty GAS cycle as well... just like with cameras! As you can see with my own personal sound gear list: http://ironfilm.co.nz/sound/ )

You can buy one from me right now – Blackmagic has made me a beta tester due to my honor points on this forum. I have shot some excellent pyramid footage near my home that i cannot upload at this time. Please PM me for western union details

You Guys did not get it. This is just a gift to amount owners and to show people they don't give up on them.
A9 or 7RIII will get those improvement (better body, speed...) 
apparently it has 422 which is nice. 
Cant wait to see Nikon answer to 5D4/A99-2
probably a d820 with 42mpx and 4K. Could be a nice body to be paired with GH5 for the ultimate photo/video combo.

I bought a Panasonic G7, got a good price from a friend.  The meaning of "no-budget" was that I really don't have a set amount of funds set aside to dedicate to this, just trying to get into a better video camera at the lowest price possible.  I picked up a Zhongyi Nikon Lens Turbo too so that I can adapt some of my Nikon.  All-in, I'm at about $350, and I still have my D7000.  I'll keep details coming once I get the camera.
Also, for all of the D5500 suggestions -- my roommate currently owns one, so I'll be borrowing his as needed (was totally unaware that he owned one, I thought it was a D5200 for the longest time, but he doesn't shoot much at all, so I barely ever see it.)

Well you could always get a Canon. Some of the cheaper ones even come with the Kendy Ty function button, which I understand is better than 4K and Magic Lantern combined.

Well you could always get a Canon. Some of the cheaper ones even come with the Kendy Ty function button, which I understand is better than 4K and Magic Lantern combined.

If you only need 1080p and aren't a fan of mu43, the Nikon D750 is the obvious choice. High DR, 1080/60p, nice colors, very little RS, robust system, and great handling.

The best hybrid camera is either the a7rII (if you're more serious into photos) or a7sII, in the full frame realm. If you're looking for crop, I'm a lover of the NX1, as many of you may know, never tried many aps-c that can deliver such a good video and pictures.

Good! As it means it is going for very cheap prices lately.
Plus while the D750 mk2 might be released in a few months time, it also... might not be released in the next two years!! It is hard to know for sure.
It is the best DX camera on the planet for stills, and does good video just not up to the spec sheet of the a7S mk2 etc

I have a D750 and I like it a lot. I've considered getting another to accompany it, but then there's the D500, so my question is similar to yours, but not quite, since there's a big advantage to having two cameras set up the same. I'm betting the next significant Nikon successor will be for the D810 - possibly more MPs and with 4k, but no articulating screen, and considerably more expensive than current D750 prices. So with an eye to getting very good value I think there's a lot to be said for getting a slightly long-in-the-tooth camera that does what it does very well. If I wanted anything more from the D750 for general stills and for 1080p corporate videos and event recording it would be... well, I can't really think of anything much at all. So, as a value proposition, my money would be on a secondhand D750, which means that if, by chance, a new camera comes out with a bit more x factor, you could do the upgrade without any great loss. As Thom Hogan points out in his D750 review, its a bit of a Goldilocks Nikon Fx: Just right. YMMV depending on need, of course.